UPDATE 2015

The construction of the Lower Eastside Girls Club Center for Community was completed in June of 2013 and the organization moved into the building that summer. The full-size planetarium (30 feet in diameter) went into operation and as of this writing in January of 2015 has been in use for a year and a half.

During that time we have used the planetarium for a number of activities:

Astronomy shows for classes visiting from local public schools and schools from other boroughs

After-school production classes with Girls Club members, using the Unity game engine and VDMX, a VJ program

Evening and weekend public events including astronomy shows and live music performances

Experiments with Processing, Syphon, fisheye photography and video

A 3 week summer "Sound and Space Camp" In which girls composed music in the sound studio, wrote stories, and produced a dome show called "The Pleiades Sisters"

Plans for 2015 include a summer program in the dome focusing on the New Horizons mission to Pluto, and the construction of a large scale interactive LED-lit stairway on the green roof, from the third floor to the fourth floor levels. Notes and tutorials from these efforts will be posted here and at the Google+ page maintained by Technology Director Dave Pentecost: